Rotary internal-combustion engine.



D. NIELD.

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1914.

1 1 99,489 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

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ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIS, 1914.

1,199,489. PatentedSept. 26, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOUGLAS NIELD, F IPU'RLEY, ENGLAND.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed May 15, 1914. Serial No. 838,776.

Grand Parade, Epsom, in the'county of Surrey, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Rotary Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary internal combustion engines of the kind in which a rotor mounted within a casing is provided with piston elements, and wherein sliding or pivoted abutments are provided for contact with the outer periphery of the rotor to inclose a space in which explosive gases are compressed and ignited, means being provided for admitting and exhausting these gases at the proper times.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved engine of this type, wherein a complete cycle of operations will be performed thoroughly and efficiently duringeach revolution of the rotor, and which may be modified by multiplying certain of its parts in a manner which does not depart from the principle of the invention so as to permit the performance of a complete cycle of operations in a fraction of a revolution of the rotor.

To this end the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts which are set forth fully hereinafter in the specification and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of an engine constructed in accordance with the invention, the same being shown provided with two combustion chambers; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same; Fig. 3 is a detail'plan view of a part of the engine, partly in section, showing the securing means for one of the abutments, when operative; Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofa portion of one of the combustion chambers, showing in detail the abutment spring and segment; Fig. 5 is. a detail sectional view of the engine casing. and the piston R eferring to the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout, a designates the annular casing of the engine which is rectangular in crosssection and is made in two connected parts,

the division of the same partsbeing circumferential and at right angles to the shaft 9 of the engine, which latter is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings provided in the casing walls. The parts of the casing are adapted to be boltedtogether, and the .casing is provided, as shown, with two diametrically opposite explosion chambers b, which open through the inner surface of its circumferential wall. It is to be understood, however, that the engine may in its simplest form be provided with a single combustion chamber. These combustion chambers may either be made integral with the casing, as shown, or separately constructed and attached thereto in suitable manner, this be ing an obvious mechanical expedientwhich should not require illustration. Each combustion chamber is constructed of suitable cross-section and is provided in its opposite ends with swinging abutments c and 0 mounted upon pivots 0 in the walls of the combustion chamber.

The abutments 0 and c are inclined toward each other and are in the form of plates which fit the walls of the casing and are provided with springs c which act to maintain the innermost, free edges of the same contact with the outer periphery d .of the rotor at.

The rotor (Z comprises an annular hoop of rectangular cross-section which fits the inner surfaces of the sides of the casing and which is connected by means of radial arms (55 with the central boss or hub f attached to the engine shaft 9. The rotor is enlarged exteriorly at diametrically opposite points to provide the pistons d and (Z which are intended for scavenging and intake purposes and for compression and motive impulse purposes respectively. For the sake of clearness, the piston (P will therefore be termed hereinafter the scavenger piston and the other piston (Z will be referred to as the explosion piston. The rotor is adapted to turn in the direction of the arrow in Fig. '1, so the abutment c of each explosion chamber serves to back up each explosion and will be called the explosion abutment. The other,'co-acting abutment 0 will be termed the compression abutment, owing to the fact that it assists the explosion abutment in retaining the combustible gases during compression. The abutments are thus adapted to be actuated by engagement with the front and rear faces of the respective pistons (considering the direction of rotation of the rotor).

The casing a is provided with apertures or slots 6, which are located in the rear of each explosion chamber (considering the direction of rotation of the rotor) and which serve as exhaust ports. Each explosion chamber 6 is provided with an inlet valve m, which may be of any usual construction, and with sparking plugs 72), for igniting the charges of combustible fluid. Small auto matic air inlet valves 10 provided with light closing springs, may be fitted tothe casing where shown, in order to obviate any tendency toward the formation of a vacuum behind the pistons, particularly during scavenging of the burnt gases.

The casing 0; is provided preferably with one or more piston rings h (Figs. 2 and 5) in order to insure a gas-tight fit with the pistons of the rotor.

In the operation of the engine, which will be described fully hereinafter, it is essential that the compression abutment 0 shall be retained in inoperative position out of the path of the pistons during. the firing and scavenging strokes or phases of each cycle. Therefore, a quadrant c is provided exteriorly upon the pivot 0 of this abutment and is adapted to be engaged by the inner end of a spring-pressed plunger k normally, whereby the quadrant is held frictionally against movement and the said abutment is maintained in inoperative position after it has been forced into the same by the explosion piston a A tripping lever is suitably mounted upon the engine casing exteriorly thereof and extends radially, its outer end being connected with the plunger 70 The opposite end of the lever 70 is disposed in engagement with an operating cam Z, which is connected with the engine shaft for movement therewith. This cam is the abutment 0 during each revolution of the rotor so as to trip the plunger k and thus release the said abutment, whereby the spring of the latter will cause it to follow the periphery of the rotor. The cam is adapted to maintain the lever in this position during the remaining half revolution of the rotor; that is, during the intake and compression phases of each cycle:

The cross-sections of the pistons and the channeled shaped parts which receive the abutment may be of other than rectangular shape, for example, they may be of circular, V, or U shape.

The invention is also applicable to pumps and air or gas compressors.

The operation of the engine, assuming in the first place that there is only one explosion chamber and the corresponding abutments and other parts, will now be described. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, considering only the explosion chamber at the left of this figure, the rotor is in a position wherein combustible gases have been drawn into the explosion chamber by the scavenger piston (Z and are about to be compressed by the explosion piston d during the next of movement ofthe rotor in the direction of the arrow. During these two intake and compression phases, which occupy a semi-revolution of the rotor, the abutments c and 0 will bothbe in contact with the rotor. When the front face of the explosion piston has thus compressed the gases in the explo-' sion chamber, the gases will be ignited by the means provided for that purpose, whereby they will act upon the rear face of this piston, the compression abutment 0 being maintained by the means previously described in its inoperative position-and the explosion abutment 0 continuing to follow the outer periphery of the rotor, whereby the explosion will'have the greatest effect possible upon the explosion piston. The advance faceof the scavenger piston al will, during the next 90 of movement of the rotor force the explosion abutment 0 outwardly and force the burnt gases past the inoperative abutment c and through the exhaustports e. These four phases constitute one complete cycle, which embraces one revolution of the rotor. Now, assuming that there are two explosion chambers, as shown in the drawing, the operation will be'the same except that there will be two motive impulses iniparted to the explosion piston during each revolution.

7 Having thus described'my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters-Pat" ent is:

A rotary internalcombustion engine comprising a casing, a rotor journaled in's'aid" casing. and having opposed exterior enlarge ments forming pistons, an explosion chain ber provided upon the casing communicating with the interior of the same through its outer circumference, an intake valve provid ed in said chamber, pivoted explosion and compression abutments mounted within the said chamber at the advance and rear sides" of the same upon exteriorly projecting pivots, said abutments being adapted normally to bear against the outer periphery of the rotor to be operated by'it's pistons, means for exploding the combustible gases within the said chamber after theyhave been 00m pressed'by one of the pistons, a quadrant se cured to the pivot of the compression abutment exteriorly of the casing, a spring pressed plunger normally engaging the said quadrant to secure the said abutment in inoperative position out of the path of the pistons during the firing and scavenging phases in each revolution of the rotor, and

means controlled by movement of the rotor name to this specification in the presence of for rerildering tige plunge; inoperative to 13- two subscribing Witnesses.

ease t e sai a utment uring t e succee ing intake and compression phases, the cas- DOUGLAS N ing being provided with an exhaust port in W1tnesses:

rear of the explosion chamber. HENRY ALLEN PRYoR,

In testimony whereof I have signed my G. V. SYMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

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